Minnesota Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel will start against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Cassel was named the starter by head coach Leslie Frazier on Friday, following a solid week of practices in which he took the majority of first-team reps.
Matt Cassel to start Sunday, could go either way for fantasy owners
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel will get the start on Sunday. We break down the fantasy implications.
Jamie McDonald
Cassel's status was in question given the fact that there are three quarterbacks currently vying for the starting nod. Christian Ponder was the starter to begin the season, but was injured in Week 3, suffering a fractured rib. Cassel made the start in Week 5 and led the Vikings to their first win, besting the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That likely led to Cassel getting the nod over Ponder, who isn't too hurt to play, as he will be the backup on Sunday. Then there's Josh Freeman, who was signed during the team's bye week after being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Freeman is likely a contender to start at some point this season, but probably needs more time to learn the playbook.
Fantasy Impact: Cassel is not a quarterback you want to depend on, but if you have him then you probably have no choice. He seems like a solid bet this week, given that he’s fighting to stay ahead of Ponder and Freeman, and the fact that he has some solid weapons at his disposal. You could probably do worse, but Cassel is the definition of “boom or bust” right now.
• Week 6 fantasy football rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
